Making the leap from "renter" to "owner" is a bit daunting, but the payoff is huge. As any veteran homeowner will tell you, there isn't anything quite like it.But before you starting jumping at the thought of never paying rent again, remember that there are certain gives and takes to owning your home – for every perk that comes with it, there is an equal amount of added responsibility. So, to get you on the right track and ahead of the game in home ownership, here are some things that will make your experience much smoother:

• Eventually, it will breakThere's no getting around it – with so much that could possible go wrong (even in a brand new home), something eventually will. Be it the water heater, A/C unit, plumbing, electricity, or anything else,